core
/kɔː/
"core" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“core” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,892. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #1,892
- frequency rank, English
- 5,599
- “C” headwords
- 5
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things.
Corpus desk
Index EN-core · core · English
core · rank #1,892 · 5 variants · 20 confusables
- FREQ-COMMON #1,892
- LEN-MID 4 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
- VAR-MID 5 variants
- BOOK-DENSE 5,599
- PHOTO-FINISH closer
Nearest frequency peer: closer (-1 rank slots)
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
Frequency neighbourhood for “core”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- bay
bay
98,112 corpus weight
- blog
blog
98,111 corpus weight
- closer
closer
98,110 corpus weight
- core
core
98,109 corpus weight
- democratic
democratic
98,108 corpus weight
- description
description
98,107 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “core” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | core |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /kɔː/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #1,892 |
| Misspellings tracked | 5 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “core” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 5 spelling variants around core (IPA /kɔː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,892 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 22 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for core, with forms such as "ccore", "coer", and "corre". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CR", "cry", "cow", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English core, kore, coor (“apple-core, pith”), of obscure and uncertain origin. Possibly of native English origin, from Old English *cor, related to Old English *coruc, *corc (diminutive) (> Middle English cork, crok (“core of an apple or other … The correct English form is core, spelled C-O-R-E.
Definition
- 1In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things.
- 2In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things.
- 3In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things.
- 4In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things.
- 5The most important part of a thing or aggregate of things wherever located and whether of any determinate location at all; the essence.
- 6The most important part of a thing or aggregate of things wherever located and whether of any determinate location at all; the essence.
- 7The most important part of a thing or aggregate of things wherever located and whether of any determinate location at all; the essence.
- 8The most important part of a thing or aggregate of things wherever located and whether of any determinate location at all; the essence.
- 9particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function:
- 10particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function:
- 11particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function:
- 12particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function:
- 13particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function:
- 14particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function:
- 15particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function:
- 16particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function:
- 17Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the most vulgar sense above.
- 18Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the most vulgar sense above.
- 19Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the most vulgar sense above.
- 20Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the most vulgar sense above.
- 21Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the most vulgar sense above.
- 22Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the most vulgar sense above.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how core appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
the core of an apple or quince
Reindeer are well suited to the taiga’s frigid winters. They can maintain a thermogradient between body core and the environment of up to 100 degrees, in part because of insulation provided by their fur, and in part because of counter-current vascular heat exchange systems in their legs and nasal passages.
Etymology
From Middle English core, kore, coor (“apple-core, pith”), of obscure and uncertain origin. Possibly of native English origin, from Old English *cor, related to Old English *coruc, *corc (diminutive) (> Middle English cork, crok (“core of an apple or other fruit, heart of an onion”)) and Old English corn (“seed", also "grain”); or alternatively perhaps from Old French cuer (“heart”), from Latin cor (“heart”); or from Old French cors (“body”), from Latin corpus (“body”). Compare also Middle English colk, coke, coll (“the heart or centre of an apple or onion, core”), Dutch kern (“core”), German Kern (“core”). See also heart, corpse. Compare typologically Russian серде́чник (serdéčnik), сердцеви́на (serdcevína)) (akin to се́рдце (sérdce), cognate with heart, Latin cor).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- ccore
- coer
- corre
- croe
- ocre
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of core - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "core"?
What does "core" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "core"?
How do you pronounce "core"?
What is the origin of the word "core"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "core", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).
What to do next
You've looked up "core". Here's where to go from here.
- "core" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "CR". View pair
- 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
- Usage frequency rank #1,892 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
- Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
- PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.